The hospital 'black hole'

THE super-hospital for Manchester has been hit by another setback - the developer needs more time to build it. The opening date has been put back another six months to 2009, four years later than originally planned.

THE super-hospital for Manchester has been hit by another setback - the developer needs more time to build it.

The opening date has been put back another six months to 2009, four years later than originally planned.

Plans for the £383m privately-financed super-hospital have seen so many re-designs that the developer has found it hard to keep up.

When the latest version was considered this week, the developer Catalyst pointed out it would take six months longer to build and the health authority would have to pay out an extra £41m to get it done by October 2008.

To prevent costs spiralling, the project to replace Booth Hall and the Royal Manchester Children's Hospitals with a new children's hospital, eye hospital, women's hospital and adult services on the Manchester Royal Infirmary site has been put back to April 2009.

But Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority says it is likely to be months after that when it finally opens to the public.

Plans

Angry Cheadle Liberal Democrat MP Patsy Calton said: "At a time when children all over Greater Manchester are being stopped from getting the treatment they need, when they need it, the central Manchester hospital developments are sucking in resources at an alarming rate. It would be appear their private sector partner is less of a catalyst and more of a black hole."

In November, Greater Manchester Primary Care Trusts - the funding body for local health services - was due to sign off the project, but at the last moment decided to shelve the plans for a year at a cost of £100,000 a month, after being warned the project could go £120m over budget.

Independent investigators were called in and it was decided to make drastic changes, dropping 150 beds, four operating theatres and more than 4,000 sq m of floor space to save £30m.

It was also agreed to shift the building of the children's hospital forward so it would be completed before the adults and mental health departments.

But it was realised that opening in October 2008 would not only cost an extra £41m in overtime payments, but that children would be at risk of infection if major construction work was going on outside.